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America Votes 2008; The Fight For Iraq; Race In 2008; Gerri's Top Tips

Aired January 22, 2007 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Says he plans to tour the hummer across the nation, raising more money for veterans. For this old war horse, retirement is a long way off.
John Robert, CNN, Scottsdale, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Such a great story. And, you know, that money, part of it going to be going towards two more Fisher House that they are opening. We'll be there on Monday for that at Brooke Army Medical Center down in San Antonio.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: You're going to be there?

COLLINS: Yes.

HARRIS: Oh, wonderful. Wonderful.

COLLINS: They're phenomenal. Twenty-one room suites. They're just supposed to be really amazing.

HARRIS: Oh, good. Oh, good. I can't wait for that.

COLLINS: Yes. We will be there for it.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM this morning and stay informed. Here's what's on the rundown.

A dusty field in Iraq, site of a Black Hawk crash. Today, indications the American helicopter may have been hit by a shoulder- fired missile.

COLLINS: New Hampshire primary a year from today. All ready you need to flowchart to follow the 17 White House wannabes. "Hotline's" John Mercurio stops by in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: New passport rules kick in tomorrow. Gerri Willis will help you avoid travel trouble on this Monday, January 22nd. You are in the NEWSROOM.

So the race is on and the field is getting crowded. Over the weekend, three more presidential hopefuls jumped into the political fray. On the Democratic side, Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton says she's in and in to win, announcing an exploratory committee on her website Saturday. She hopes to become the first women president. New Mexico Democratic Governor Bill Richardson made his own web announcement Sunday forming an exploratory committee. A successful run could make him the nation's first Hispanic president. And on the Republican side, Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas formally announced his candidacy.

COLLINS: Senator Clinton already hit the campaign trail, shaking hands, making speeches and answering questions. Here's CNN's Mary Snow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You could say it was classic Hillary Clinton. One day after announcing online that she's in the 2008 presidential race, Senator Clinton proceeded in the business as usual mode. It was anything but. Reporters from all over packed a room at a healthcare center that happens to be named Ryan Chelsea Clinton, no relation to her daughter, just coincidence. Senator Clinton talked policy as the cameras caught her every move.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every child should have access to quality, affordable healthcare.

SNOW: But with the talk of policy came a bit of a softer side, something seen in her online announcement as she sat in her living room to announce she'll run for president. A young girl at the press conference held her hand tightly as photographers flashed away. And the senator posed with children. And then a woman known for keeping things so close to the vest faced questions she has shied away from for months, including how she came about her decision.

CLINTON: I thought very hard about it. Talked to family and friends and supporters after the elections. And it was a thorough review for me about the problems that we confront in this country, the particular strengths and talents that I would bring both to the race and to the White House.

SNOW: What role would President Clinton and daughter Chelsea play in the campaign?

CLINTON: They're my greatest support system, my greatest advisors and they'll continue to be that.

SNOW: And the closest she came to talking about her competitors?

CLINTON: It will be a great contest with a lot of talented people. And I'm very confident. I'm in. I'm in to win and that's what I intend to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: CNN's Mary Snow joining us now from New York and Ground Zero specifically. Mary, I know you're there with the senator for an event this morning. But tell us, if you would, the major issues that Senator Clinton will be campaigning on?

SNOW: Well, Heidi, one thing she made clear yesterday was healthcare. She said yesterday she's introducing healthcare for children under 18, but plans to call for a universal healthcare. That's been a big theme of hers. As you remember when she was first lady, she pushed for that.

Also, one of the first questions she asked when she made her announcement on Saturday, the war in Iraq, how to bring it to a right end, in her words. And another theme she's been hitting on early on, energy dependence, will be one of the things she's focusing on in her campaign.

COLLINS: And what is the event that you are at right now? I know that's coming up in just a little while. With some responders from September 11th and their family members?

SNOW: Yes. We are at Ground Zero and Senator Clinton is going to be joining 9/11 responders who will be at the State of the Union Address tomorrow night. They are asking for more federal money for health treatments. As you know, so many of the 9/11 responders have reported these illnesses and they're looking for federal money for all their medical bills.

COLLINS: All right. We'll be following that story as well. Mary Snow.

Thanks so much, Mary.

HARRIS: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's announcement not yet rippling across the first primary state. CNN's Bob Franken reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Most states have a state bird, a state song. But in New Hampshire . . .

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Politics is our state sport and I'm delighted that you're here to play this game with all of us.

FRANKEN: They've been playing the first primary game here since 1920. While Hillary Rodham Clinton's announcement causes palpitations everywhere else, here it's, join the crowd.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really feel that we have a chance as citizens of New Hampshire to really -- to meet all of the candidates. And so until I have an opportunity to meet all of the candidates, I will make a decision after that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We really haven't seen Hillary and we haven't seen Barack Obama, except once over in Manchester. And it will take us a while to figure out who they are.

FRANKEN: Actually, Hillary Clinton goes back to 1992 in New Hampshire, when as the wife of candidate Bill Clinton, she was traipsing through all the snow and scandal. SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) NEW YORK: If anything about our marriage is important to the people of New Hampshire, it's whether or not they will have a chance to keep their own families together and the (INAUDIBLE).

FRANKEN: Now, Hillary Clinton herself is seeking the embrace of New Hampshire's voters, along with many, many others, including lots of Republicans, McCain, Brownback, Romney, Giuliani. Among the Democrats, Obama, Edwards, Biden, Richardson. Vilsack was here on Friday, Dodd on Saturday.

SEN. CHRIS DODD, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I apologize being a few minutes late. I'm not Bill Clinton. I'm not an hour late.

FRANKEN: Did he say Clinton? Actually, Hillary Clinton has not been here for a while.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the candidates have to come to New Hampshire if they want to win. It's just the way that it is.

FRANKEN: The primary is slated exactly one year from now, unless New Hampshire moves it back because it feels like its first in the nation's status is being jeopardize by other states. The first in the nation's presidential debates will be held this April. Debates co- sponsored by CNN.

Bob Franken, CNN, Manchester, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And, once again, stay with CNN and the best political team on television for all of your campaign and elections coverage.

COLLINS: An explosion of gruesome violence in Iraq. School children, civilians, U.S. troops, insurgents show no mercy. The deadliest of the attacks today in central Baghdad. A pair of car bombs erupt. At least 75 people are killed and 160 wounded. Elsewhere in the capital, mortar rounds reign down on an elementary school. One woman is killed, eight children wounded.

Over the weekend, 27 U.S. troops died in Iraq. And we now have a disturbing development in a helicopter crash that killed a dozen soldiers. CNN's Michael Holmes is joining us now live from Baghdad.

Michael, give us the latest if you would.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, the violence, the carnage just doesn't seem to stop here. The twin bombings that you mentioned happened right in the heart of Baghdad about a mile behind me. In fact, we felt the explosions mere seconds apart and they were large explosions too. Well over 200 pounds of explosive in the vehicles.

It was two car bombs. This is a fairly mixed area of Shia and Sunni, but mainly Shias shop here, which sparks the fear that this was another Sunni insurgent attack. It was utter carnage, as you can imagine. Body parts strewn right across the area.

This is the third time in as many months that this particular marketplace has been targeted. This, by far, the deadliest, however. And it is Baghdad's biggest market too. This time the bombs targeting the second-hand clothing area right here in the city.

You mentioned that there were mortars falling on an elementary school. Eight children wounded.

I can tell you that also, just in the last few minutes, we've had word of another bombing in Diyala (ph) province, about 100 kilometers from here. This, too, targeting a marketplace. Early on, 12 dead, 29 wounded so far. That's likely to go up.

Heidi.

COLLINS: And also we did mention to, Michael, that helicopter crash on Saturday that killed a dozen U.S. soldiers. We're learning from CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon that is possibly being looked at as a shoulder fired missile.

But, Michael, I know that the situation in Karbala, where the U.S. military is still desperately trying to find out how insurgents got into that secure compound actually while a meeting was taking place on security to attack U.S. troops. What have they found out at this point?

HOLMES: You know, unprecedented, Heidi. None of us here can ever remember anything like this occurring in Baghdad. It's a new tactic, if you like. It worked very well.

Six or seven or eight SUVs with tinted windows, looking every bit like an official convoy that travels around Iraq. Inside those vehicles, men wearing U.S. style uniforms, flashing fake Ids. Some of them speaking English to Iraqi police as they drove through and were waved through three checkpoints to get into a compound that was meant to be secure. U.S. and Iraqi officials were meeting there.

They didn't just get into any compound, Heidi, they got into the building and then targeting U.S. troops specifically. No Iraqi casualties on this occasion. They shot dead five U.S. soldiers and wounded three others and then got away. Some of the vehicles were later found, according to Iraqi police sources, and two wounded insurgents were taken into custody.

But certainly a major breach of security. We're told that that compound is under lock-down and everyone from the police chief on down is being interrogated. That suggesting that there are suspicions that there was at least partly an inside job, Heidi. Absolutely extraordinary stuff, though.

COLLINS: Yes. And, quickly, Michael, before we let you go here. We've talked before about impersonating U.S. military and how easy it is to get a hold of these military uniforms. Do we know at this point whether or not those were indeed authentic U.S. military uniforms? HOLMES: No. No one knows for sure, but the police on the checkpoints said they looked like U.S. uniforms. And these guys are dealing with the U.S. a lot. One question would be, well, why did they just wave these guys through? Well the reality is, that when a U.S. convoy does come through a checkpoint, they don't like to stop for the Iraqi police and be searched and questioned and that. So, generally, the Iraqi police have gotten used to waving U.S. convoys through. They looked at these guys. They thought that's what it was.

COLLINS: Boy, hopefully not anymore. Michael Holmes reporting live for us from Baghdad this morning.

Michael, thanks.

HARRIS: Iraq, terrorism, immigration, health care. Just some of the issues expected to dominate tomorrow night's State of the Union Address. President Bush faces a tough audience with lagging support for the war and a Democrat-controlled Congress. The president has been meeting with top advisors this weekend at Camp David. He is due back in Washington later today. We are live at the White House next hour in the NEWSROOM.

And CNN is the place to watch the State of the Union Address. Our primetime coverage begins Tuesday evening at 7:00 Eastern. Watch a special two-hour edition of "The Situation Room." Then President Bush's address live right here on CNN. Followed by the Democratic response. Then at 10:30 Eastern, Anderson Cooper has reaction from around the world. Followed by a special midnight edition of "Larry King Live." The best political team on television has you covered.

COLLINS: Candidates galore. A crowded field of candidates eyeing the White House. How many will be able to stand out in a pack. We'll talk about that coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: In grave danger. A massive manhunt underway as police try to find four missing children and their mother. Where are agents concentrating that search now? That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And Michael Devlin on the record. The suspected kidnapper now speaking from his Missouri jail cell. What he said ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: It is 22 months before Election Day. Are you counting it down? And already eight Democrats, nine Republicans have announced they are running for president or forming exploratory committees, as they do. The field is packed. Let's talk about it with John Mercurio with National Journal's "The Hotline."

John, thanks for being here.

JOHN MERCURIO, NATIONAL JOURNAL'S "THE HOTLINE": Great to be here.

COLLINS: You know that over the weekend, Governor Bill Richardson becomes the seventh member of the Democratic Party, anyway, to announce that he's going to be running for '08. I wonder, at this point, as we sort of look at the whole field, how tough it's going to be for anybody to really stand out and say, yes, I'm the man or I'm the woman, in this case.

MERCURIO: Right. Well, it won't be hard for anyone to say, I'm the woman.

COLLINS: That's true.

MERCURIO: Hillary Clinton starts out this race as the presumptive front-runner. I think as long as the media and the public are so enthralled with this storyline between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, it's going to be very difficult for anyone other than maybe John Edwards to break out of the pack.

But I think what's going to end up happening sometime later this year, maybe late this summer or this fall, is that there's going to be a debate within the Democratic Party about experience. The three front-runners have a lot of differences. But the one thing that the three of them all share, Clinton, Obama and Edwards, is that they're all relatively inexperienced compared to the second tier.

I think the debate is going to focus on trying to find an alternative within that second tier of Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, potentially Al Gore, John Kerry. Bill Richardson, you just mentioned. Someone who's more experienced who can then be viewed as a viable alternative. We saw this in 2004. Democrats dated, they sort of flirted with the idea of Howard Dean, but they ultimately went with someone who was much more experienced on national issues, like John Kerry.

COLLINS: All right. What about the experiences of the Republicans and how tough it may be for any one of them to stand out looking forward to 2008?

MERCURIO: Well, right now we do already have standouts on the Republican side. We have John McCain. We have Rudy Giuliani. And we have Mitt Romney. That's sort of the top Republican tier.

COLLINS: Right.

MERCURIO: I think what Republicans are going to be talking about and debating, I think, is much more focused on trying to find an alternative to John McCain, at least among that group of conserves who don't agree with John McCain. There's already sort of an, anybody but McCain debate going on within the party. I think what that will end up focusing on is, who can be the true conserve? Who's more ideologically comfortable in that field? Somebody like Sam Brownback. Somebody like Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, could stand out in that search.

COLLINS: I wonder, if you're talking about Iraq as we look forward to 2008, how much that is going to play a role. It seems like just a ridiculous question because we talk about it every single day. But if you don't know Iraq, if you don't have a strong opinion on Iraq, what can you do with your candidacy?

MERCURIO: Well, there won't be any candidate running for president in 2008 who doesn't have an extremely strong position on the war in Iraq. And the positions do sort of run the ideological spectrum. We have people all the way to the right, somebody like John McCain, who's strongly behind the president's proposal to increase troop strength in Iraq, all the way to someone on the left, somebody like John Edwards, who voted for the war in Iraq but now calls that vote a mistake and is strongly opposed to the war. And also somebody like Barack Obama, who never supported the war in the first place.

COLLINS: OK, the two very, very different opinions, obviously. Surge in troops or voted for it, changed my mind or shouldn't be there at all. What about somebody in the middle? I mean it seems like we have all of this discussion among our politicians about Iraq, for lots of ideas, but no solutions.

MERCURIO: Sure. And it's going to end up -- it's going to depend, I think, a lot on how those candidates, left, right and center, are able to frame the debate. But you know what's it's going to depend a lot more on I think is how this war progresses over the next 22 months and how things look in Iraq next fall, the fall of 2008. That, I think, ultimately will decide who this next president is going to be.

COLLINS: Sure.

MERCURIO: I think Iraq was a huge issue 2004, 2006 and it will be just as significant in 2008.

COLLINS: All right. And last one for you here, because we know money is always such an issue and campaign fund raising. You see anybody who's just really not going to be able to stick in there for the long haul?

MERCURIO: Yes, you know, I mean there are certain candidates, especially on the Democratic side. It's such a large field. You have such power players. People like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama expected to raise a significant amount of money. John Edwards probably doing the same.

People who have never competed on the national level before, somebody like Bill Richardson, somebody like Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa, I think comes into this race with significant disadvantages as far as fund raising is concerned. They're already asking us not to judge them on their first fund raising report, which will come out in June, but to judge them on their second one, allowing them to sort of get up to speed. But I'm not sure in this field with the compressed time schedule that we have, there's really going to be that much time for them to get up to speed.

COLLINS: From the National Journal, "The Hotline," John Mercurio, appreciated your thoughts here today. Thank you.

MERCURIO: Thank you. HARRIS: And, you know, new passport rules take affect tomorrow, Heidi. Are you ready? Are you ready? If not, Gerri Willis is here to get you ready.

Gerri, good morning.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Tony. Good to see you.

You know, those new passport rules, they are coming. Demand for passports is up. We'll tell you how to cut the line if you need to get a new one next on "Top Tips."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Pounded and pounded and pounded again. Another wave of snow and ice sweeps the U.S. Wintry blast. That story, it's a long one, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: An hour into the trading day this morning. Let's check -- whoa, what is going on here? The big board, New York Stock Exchange, the Dow down 86. What is going on? The Nasdaq down 18. OK. It's early. Inside the first hour of the trading day. We will find out what's going on with Susan Lisovicz a little later this hour.

New passport rules take effect tomorrow. That has many U.S. travelers scrambling. Should you be among them? CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis takes a look in her "Top Tips."

Gerri, good morning to you.

WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Tony.

HARRIS: What do you say we get started with some basics here, Gerri. What do I need to know?

WILLIS: What's going to change? That's the big question on people's minds. And, guess what, all incoming air travelers to the U.S., and that included American citizens, will need to have a passport if they're coming in from Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are exempted from this role because they're part of U.S. territory. And next January these rules will extend to people who drive or take a cruise. So listen up. It's going to happen to all of us here.

HARRIS: Well, what's the advice then?

WILLIS: You can't wait. If you don't have a passport, you've got to get with the program. Look, it usually takes six to eight weeks to process a passport application. And, unfortunately, between now and July is the peek time for getting one. So if you can afford to wait, you'll get faster service if you apply later, like between August and December. Remember, your passport must be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip and you should also make sure you have two to four blank visa stamped pages. So lots to think about there if you're traveling.

HARRIS: Yes, OK, so I've got to get the photos. How about -- aren't there some sites that will help me? Where do I go if I need to get this done?

WILLIS: Well, OK. To find the nearest location to get your passport, go to travel.state.gov, type in your zip code. You can also call the Passport Information Center, and that phone number, 877-4USA- PPT.

Now, Tony, in addition to individual passport sites, applications are being accepted at some post offices and public libraries because there's expected to be a real crush for this.

HARRIS: Well, is there a way -- OK, I admit it, I've been procrastinating. Is there a way to sort of jump-start this process?

WILLIS: Well, if you want to skip the lines . . .

HARRIS: Yes, I'd like to.

WILLIS: You can expedite it. If you have less than eight weeks until your travel date, you may want to get an expedited passport. This should be available in about two weeks. But you are going to pay for the privilege. A regular passport, plain old plain old, costs about $97. Getting your passport expedited is an extra $60, plus delivery fees, which aren't nothing. There are private expedition services that can deliver your passport, get this, in as little as 24 hours.

HARRIS: Well, I like that.

WILLIS: It costs a lot of money, though. It will cost you around $150, not including delivery. But if you want to find companies in your area, go to the National Association of Passport and Visa Services. They have a website, naturally, napvs.org, or check out Visa and Passports to go at vp2go.com.

HARRIS: What about the folks say in Caribbean tourism? They can't be all that excited about all that's going on here, can they?

WILLIS: No. They are very upset.

HARRIS: Yes.

WILLIS: You know, they don't like it because it makes it tougher for them to get American tourists there. So this rebounds to your advantage. There are quite a few deals out there to entice visitors. Check this out, Superclubs and Cheapcaribbean are giving visitors rebates of up to $97 per person to offset passport prices.

HARRIS: I like that.

WILLIS: Yes, that's good news. The Bahamas are also giving out passport rebates. Check out visitjamaica.com. They're offering credits of $97 that you can use toward a spa or a room upgrade. HARRIS: You know what, Gerri, just -- I know this is -- it's a silly question when I ask it. It's not just adults. Kids, too, right? Get the passports for your kids as well.

WILLIS: Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely. They can't just travel on your passport. It doesn't work that way.

HARRIS: And the days of just taking the birth certificates, those days for the kids, that's over.

WILLIS: No.

HARRIS: All right. There she is.

WILLIS: But a reminder, Tony, for your viewers.

HARRIS: Yes.

WILLIS: If they have other questions, money questions, financial questions, send them to us at toptips@cnn.com. We answer them right here every Friday.

HARRIS: There she is, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.

Gerri, great to see you. Have a great day.

WILLIS: Thank you. My pleasure.

HARRIS: And still to come this morning.

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Tony Harris and Heidi Collins.

COLLINS: A desperate search still going. Federal agents and local police expanding their search now for four missing children and their mother, all allegedly abducted at gunpoint by the children's father. The children range in age from nine years to 16 months. Police believe they are in grave danger. The ordeal began Friday night with a shooting at this home in Indiana. One man in critical condition right now. Police say the suspect, Jerry White, had been harassing his ex-girlfriend. The search has moved about 100 miles from Elkhart to Chicago. That is where police believe White may have taken the children and their mother.

A controversial jailhouse interview now with Michael Devlin. He's the man accused of kidnapping two Missouri teens. He talked with a reporter from "The New York Post." He would not talk specifically about the case, but he did talk about being kept in isolation in prison. First saying, "they keep me away from everyone because they think I'm dangerous." Then admitting, "they think I'll get beat up." Devlin says he hasn't talked to his adoptive parents about the charges saying, instead, quote, "It's much easier to talk to a stranger about these things than your own parents.

Devlin's attorneys are upset over the interview. They say the reporter never should have been allowed to see their client. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ETHAN CORLIJA, MICHAEL DEVLIN'S ATTY.: She again used the ruse that she was a family friend, and when she even got in to see Mr. Devlin, she misrepresented to him who she was. So, you know, he had no reason to believe that she was any type of a reporter, or that this wouldn't make the press in any way, statements would make the press in any way.

You know, look, we're going to be honest, it's lonely where Mr. Devlin is right now. OK, and I'm sure he longs to talk to people, but there are certain people that he absolutely cannot talk to.

MICHAEL KIELTY, MICHAEL DEVLIN'S ATTY.: As a matter of fact, some other local media attempted to contact Mr. Devlin. And they were not allowed to see him. It was only when this "New York Post" reporter came in and passed herself off as a family friend, and the sheriff's department down there, that she gained access. It was through deception.

CORLIJA: Our client has not even been able to read the article. From what Mike and I know about our client, the facts we know, we know that there are certain inconsistencies, inaccuracies in that article.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: "The New York Post" says they stand by their story. A statement from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office reiterates that Devlin saw the reporter beforehand in the jail and told them to let her in. Meanwhile, Devlin's attorneys say they will file a motion today to have their client moved to a more secure location.

HARRIS: Smoke rises, the death toll soars, a ghastly series of attacks reaches a deadly pinnacle today in Iraq. Details in the NEWSROOM.

Working together -- can it work? A key to the new Baghdad security plan coming up in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And from shampoo to steering wheels, a cargo ship turning a beach into a free-for-all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A large number of containers are adrift in the area. Vessels are recommended to keep at least five miles clear of this location.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Shipping news coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The race is on, is it ever, and the field is crowded. Over the weekend, three more presidential hopefuls jumped into the political fray on the Democratic side. In a statement posted on her Web site, Senator Hillary Clinton said she's in, and in to win. The New York senator is already making public appearances, putting the spotlight on health care.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Health insurance for every child and universal health care for every American. That will be a very major part of my campaign, and I want to hear people's ideas about how we can achieve that goal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: New Mexico Democratic Governor Bill Richardson made his own web announcement Sunday, then he took straight to the talk show circuit and attacked the Iraq War issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: What you do is set up a timetable for them to handle the security. You set national reconciliation talks with the three ethnic groups. You talk to Iran and Syria. What we need to do is bring their neighbors in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And on the Republican side, Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas announced his candidacy Saturday and laid down his vision for Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R), KANSAS: Let us resolve to move forward together, to have a bipartisan strategy for the war. We need unity here to win over there. We need to have that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Just where do the latest candidates stand on some of the major issues? Let's take a look. Republican Senator Sam Brownback initially supported the war in Iraq, but he has expressed frustration with Iraqi leaders. He does not support President Bush's plan for more troops in Iraq. The Kansas senator supports immigration reforms that would include a way for current illegal immigrants to gain legal status in America, and he opposes abortion rights.

HARRIS: Democratic Governor Bill Richardson from New Mexico says he opposes the president's plan to increase American troop levels in Iraq and supports withdrawing troops from Iraq this year and redeploying them to Afghanistan and other international terrorism hotspots. On immigration, the New Mexico governor supports better security and a plan to provide legal status. For some illegal immigrants, he opposes building the 700-mile fence along the U.S.- Mexican border, passed by Congress. He supports abortion rights.

COLLINS: New York's Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton voted for use of military force in Iraq, but opposes the president's plan for additional troops there.

On immigration, Senator Clinton voted for the Bush-backed Senate immigration bill, which would increase border security and grant amnesty for some illegal immigrants, and she supports abortion rights. As we head into the crucial presidential elections, stay up to date with the CNN political ticker. The best political team on televisions gives you an inside view of the day's top political stories. That's on CNN.com/ticker.

HARRIS: How about this description, body parts everywhere, one Iraqi official describing the scene of the day's horrific attacks in Baghdad. Insurgents targeting civilians in separate marketplaces, one in Baghdad, the other some 60 miles to the northeast. All total, at least 87 people are dead and 189 wounded. Americans suffered a bloody weekend in Iraq. A dozen soldiers killed in a helicopter crash. And sources tell CNN the Blackhawk apparently was brought down by hostile fire. And all 27 U.S. troops died Saturday, and Sunday, some in an unprecedented attack in Karbala. About 30 armed militants disguised as a U.S. military convoy passed through three checkpoints, then they attacked a secure compound at a meeting focusing on security concerns. Five U.S. troops killed. A massive investigation now under way.

Four forces, one goal, bringing peace to Baghdad, community by community.

CNN's Michael Holmes reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. troops dismount from a striker and onto a very important piece of property in Haria (ph), northwestern Baghdad. It doesn't look like it, but this is at the heart of the new Baghdad security plan. Here, next month, a joint security station will be up and running. Others will follow.

(on camera): The joint security station, or JSS, is going to be key to the success of this new Baghdad plan. This is likely to be the first one, among the first, to be actually operational. It's the largest compound. It's going to be walled in.

HOLMES: And inside those walls, U.S. troops working hand in hand with the Iraqi army, national police and regular police, groups often at odds in this bloody sectarian war.

LT. COL. AVANULAS SMILEY, U.S. ARMY: I think it's good for the people to see their security forces working together for their communities. That's kind of a fundamental peg to counter an insurgency and getting the people to basically raise up amongst themselves and take care of their own issues and own problems.

HOLMES: Lieutenant Colonel Van Smiley is hands-on, walks the sometimes muddy streets, working hard to cultivate relationships with locals and with all three Iraqi security groups who will inhabit this JSS. He's confident for the long-term.

SMILEY: I'm not going to wear rose goggles and tell you this will work out immediately. But I think over time, it's definitely headed in the right direction if we can get the three entities to kind of fuse their efforts together.

HOLMES: A few miles away, a big event. Lieutenant Colonel Smiley won't be living on the JSS, he runs a stryker battalion which moves around the country.

The man who will head the U.S. contingent is Lieutenant Colonel Mike Richardson from the 82nd Airborne. This is the start of the handover, U.S. and Iraqi troops mingling, a get to know you over lamb and rice. It's a remarkable scene.

Iraqi officers told us, they like the plan, they think it will work although off-camera, several said it would only work if the Iraqi government stayed out, didn't interfere. It has promised not to.

Many Iraqis don't trust the police or don't trust the national police or don't trust the Army. Depends on the suburb, depends whether you're Sunni or Shia. Back at the JSS site, locals said seeing all groups working in one place inside their suburb gave them some hope.

Working together, said these men that's the first main issue. Everyone then feels they're on the same side.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Haria, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: The war in Iraq will be featured in President Bush's state of the union address tomorrow night. CNN is the place to be for prime-time coverage. Join us tomorrow evening at 7:00 Eastern for a special 2-hour edition of THE SITUATION ROOM. Then President Bush's address live on CNN, followed by the Democratic response. Then at 10:30 eastern, Anderson Cooper has reaction from around the world followed with a special midnight edition of LARRY KING LIVE. You can't count on the best political team on television. We have you covered.

COLLINS: Another week, another wave of snow and ice and freezing rain spreading more misery from coast-to-coast, obviously making driving very tough, too.

Ice slick roads, a big concern in the mid-Atlantic states. Treacherous conditions in Charleston, West Virginia and parts of Maryland and Virginia as well.

The nation's heartland also reeling from storm after storm. More heavy snow fell over the weekend in parts of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado. At last count, more than 45,000 people in Missouri and 25,000 people in Oklahoma were still without power after the ice storm more than a week ago now.

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HARRIS: And still to come, listen to this, this is a scavenger hunt for the ages. People picking up all kind of treasures on a British beach. How cars and cam corders and other things got there.

COLLINS: Logs?

HARRIS: Well logs, sure, why not. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. It's been a blockbuster drug for Pfizer. But a major AIDS treatment group is suing the company over the way it markets the medication. I'll explain why when NEWSROOM returns. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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COLLINS: It is something you can't see, but it can kill you. Carbon monoxide, a growing concern in the U.S., and the latest focus, hotel and motel rooms. The story ahead in the NEWSROOM.

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COLLINS: I want to get this information to you just as soon as we learn it at CNN. And that is that a jury has been seated in the Scooter Libby trial. You remember Lewis Scooter Libby charged with perjury and obstruction of the investigation into the disclosure in 2003 of the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame.

Also, I want to let you know how this works. They needed to get 36 candidates. And now, they will slowly, defense attorneys and prosecutors both of course, will begin striking the jurors who they feel would not be favorable of course to their side of this trial.

The goal is to find 12 remaining jurors and four alternates. Opening arguments for this case are scheduled for Tuesday.

HARRIS: Well, it is like a Christmas morning along part of the British coast. Everything from perfume to cars washing up onshore, if you can imagine that.

ITN's Helen Callaghan has the story.

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HELEN CALLAGHAN, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): Not for the first time in its history, the Devon coastline is awash with cargo from a wrecked ship. Toys, booze, even motorbikes from the MSC Napoli (ph) are scattered along the shoreline. And on the beach, word spreads fast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It cleans the beach up. As well, it's free, you know. A couple of people I've seen this morning have got brand new BMX motorbikes worth 15 grand each.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think there was a land rover found last night. There was a tractor down the end down there. The tires are worth about a grand on them or something like that. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually got a day off today, so I walked that way (INAUDIBLE) and see what's going on.

CALLAGHAN: Most think this is a free-for-all but it's not. They should be reporting back to the receiver of wrecks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Effectively it's theft. If you're taking somebody else's property without asking their permission, that's theft, in the same way it would be anywhere else in the country.

CALLAGHAN: Sailing out to the Napoli (ph), the 200 containers it's already lost are floating everywhere.

(on camera): Boats are being warned to steer clear of this entire area and this is why. There is debris all over the sea. Here there are hundreds of barrels full of sherry, but other containers are hazardous.

(voice-over): Salvage teams are onboard heating the remaining fuel, so it can be punched out later. The vessel is just a mile off the coastline which has world heritage status. The oil slick is contained, but already more than 100 birds have been affected.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a mess, isn't it? Gosh. Anyway, my priority is this birds.

CALLAGHAN: This is an environmental disaster waiting to happen. The next 24 hours will be critical.

Helen Callaghan, ITV News Devon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: It's getting crowded out there, isn't it? 17 so far, eying the Oval Office, exactly one year before New Hampshire, we're looking for some more elbow room, if you please, in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And our own Betty Nguyen -- she's on display. Look at her. She's at the Smithsonian. Betty explains her brush with being a museum celebrity. That's coming up next in the NEWSROOM

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